The worst (and best) purchases this month

ST. LOUIS (KSDK) - September is not a straight-forward month when it comes to sales. On one hand, you have the end of summer clearance deals on everything from patio to swimsuits. You also have Black Friday on the horizon with the biggest reductions of the year right around the corner. When it comes to deals, this is how I approach the month of September...

5 Best Buys This September

1) Mid-Range Televisions: If you pick your size and some of the well-performing "B" brands carefully, you can score some huge discounts this time of the year. Certain price drops are only $20 off from what we'll see Black Friday. I should stress you need to pick your TV deals very carefully, but there are some great reductions like this one:

4) Dyson Vacuums: Since we usually see new products and specials debut around that spring cleaning time of the year, this officially marks the end of year for many upright vacuums. Deals today on certain models replicate what we'll see Black Friday like this one:

1) Appliances: If you missed the Labor Day bargain boat on this one, wait until Black Friday or at least until the month of November if you can. Your costs will be at least 30% lower if you can wait.

2) Cooler Weather Clothing: Keep in mind that retailers are at least one month ahead of you on everything. When that cooler fall weather actually hits, buy your items. Autumn clothing always sees much better discounts in October.

3) Halloween Décor: My rule of thumb is if you see something on display in a store, it's the worst time to buy it. Shopping for items when a retailer 'needs' you to buy that product line usually amounts to fewer discounts.

4) Video Games & Multimedia: The best multimedia bundles of the year drop from Black Friday through Christmas. You can cut your costs by 50% or more with some patience.

5) Laptops: A deal blog I visited yesterday actually suggested laptops are a great September buy, but I completely disagree. With the exception of the back-to-school laptop deals, which trickle into the first week of September, reductions on quality laptops this time of year are scarce. If you can wait until at least mid-October, price drops are more frequent on better models.